Kenya: Floods - Aug 2011

Glide: FL-2011-000115-KEN

Overview

Starting August 2011, heavy rains in northwestern Kenya caused several cases of flash flooding in the Kisumu East, Nyando, and Turkana districts. Around Kakuma, an estimated 60,000 people experienced flooding with water sources, latrines and homes damaged (UNICEF, 17 Aug 2011). As of 12 December ,Kenya Red Cross Society (KRCS) estimated at least 25 people had lost their lives in flood-related incidents and approximately 15,045 households (91,692 people) were displaced from their homes (IFRC, 12 Dec 2011).

Appeal coverage: The IFRC mobilized 33 percent of the budget with support from Partner National Societies(PNS) while Kenya Red Cross Society raised 66 percent of the appeal budget through bilateral contributions which included funds raised through private sector, the African Union and through the “Kenyans for Kenya Initiative.” When these contributions are considered, the Appeal can be said to be fully funded.

Appeal coverage: The IFRC Drought Appeal has been fully funded. The IFRC was able to mobilize 33% of the budget. With support from Partner National Societies (PNS), 66% of the appeal funds were raised. Kenya Red Cross Society also raised additional funds through Corporate donors, the African Union and through the “Kenyans for Kenya Initiative.”

NAIROBI, 11 April 2012 – The massive humanitarian response in the Horn of Africa in 2011 reversed the spread of famine and saved tens of thousands of children’s lives, but the outlook is increasingly worrisome, threatening the tentative gains achieved to date, according to a new UNICEF report.

In East Africa, continued difficulties accessing food – coupled with recent flooding and conflict in the region – have made life hard for many people. While working with communities in East Africa to improve their long-term resilience to food insecurity, the Red Cross is also providing immediate relief to thousands of vulnerable people in refugee camps.

Six months on from the launch of our East Africa Food Crisis Appeal, the generosity of our donors has helped the Red Cross provide urgent relief to hundreds of thousands of vulnerable, malnourished people.

When several areas of Somalia where in a state of famine, the Red Cross provided healthcare, food, water and therapeutic feeding programmes. Through the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the Somali Red Crescent, British Red Cross funds were able to reach areas of Somalia off-limits to many other agencies.

On December 29, unidentified assailants killed a refugee leader of the Community Peace and Security Team (CPST) at the Hagadera camp in the Dadaab refugee camp complex in Kenya. Assailants killed another CPST refugee leader at the Ifo camp in Dadaab on January 1, 2012. Humanitarian operations in Dadaab remain limited to the provision of essential services, according to the Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

World Vision welcomes the news that the famine is easing in parts of Somalia. The United Nations has officially downgraded the situation in Bakaool, lower Shabelle and Bay. At the peak of the crisis, malnutrition was affecting 53 per cent of the population in some areas of Somalia; now, that figure has fallen below the famine threshold of 30 per cent. But although conditions have begun to improve in the Horn of Africa for some, challenges remain great for the families who live there and the aid workers trying to respond.

WASHINGTON, December 20, 2011 – Mothers and children severely affected by the recent drought in Kenya’s arid and semi-arid areas will receive additional emergency nutrition and health services through the government’s health sector program.

· Heavy rains have subsided this week in Kenya, Somalia and Ethiopia, but humanitarian operations continue to be impeded by the damage to infrastructure caused by the heavy rains in previous weeks, as well as persistent insecurity.

· The World Health Organization has issued an alert over an increased risk of water-borne diseases following the recent heavy rains and flooding in the region.

With the famine in Somalia sparking an increased flow of refugees into neighbouring Kenya, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is scaling up its programmes to help improve the living conditions in the northern part of the country.

CHF 300,003 has been allocated from the IFRC’s Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) to support the Kenya Red Cross Society in delivering immediate assistance to some 3,500 households (21,000 beneficiaries). Unearmarked funds to repay DREF are encouraged.

Summary: The expected October-November- December (OND) short rains have so far been characterized by heavy rainfall and storms in various parts of North Eastern, Coast, Upper Eastern, North Rift, South Rift and Western regions of Kenya.